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Thinktank director Tim Wilson appointed human rights commissioner | Thinktank director Tim Wilson appointed human rights commissioner |
(about 7 hours later) | |
The attorney general has appointed a director from the rightwing thinktank the Institute of Public Affairs as Australia’s human rights commissioner. | |
George Brandis said Tim Wilson, a member of the Liberal party until this month, had been appointed to “restore balance” to the Australian Human Rights Commission. | |
Wilson, a self-declared classic libertarian, directed climate change policy at the IPA as well as the Intellectual Property and Free Trade Unit. | |
Wilson said he had stepped down from his position at the IPA as well as resigned from the Liberal party to take up the appointment. | Wilson said he had stepped down from his position at the IPA as well as resigned from the Liberal party to take up the appointment. |
He said he was looking forward to “advancing the government’s freedom agenda”. | |
“As Australia’s human rights commissioner I will seek to reverse the incremental dilution of human rights and reassert their essential status in our community,” he said in a statement on his website in which also thanked his partner, Ryan, for his support. | |
“I will unapologetically approach this important role with the strong belief that human rights are important, consistent and universal and provide the foundations for a free society. | “I will unapologetically approach this important role with the strong belief that human rights are important, consistent and universal and provide the foundations for a free society. |
“As human rights commissioner I will put freedom on the offensive: where it belongs.” | |
The president of the commission, Gillian Triggs, welcomed Wilson’s appointment, but warned he may have trouble advancing his cause without legislation, such as a bill of rights, to back him up. | |
The IPA has called for the abolition of the commission and Triggs said it was healthy to have someone bring a fresh view in. | |
But Triggs said: “There’s no doubt for the most part we do what the legislation allows us to do. | |
“It will be interesting to see if the attorney general is planning to introduce legislation that will give him a legislative base for the work he wants done. | |
“There is no charter of rights, no bill of rights, no legal provisions to protect fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom of association.” | |
She added: “I’m not suggesting for a moment a bill of rights be introduced – we’ve had that debate – but Tim will have a task arguing for freedom without tools of legislation for it.” | |
Triggs said it would be particularly interesting to see how the right not to be detained without charge enshrined in legislation would work with Australia’s asylum seeker policy. | |
Wilson said he had not worked out what his specific agenda would be and had not decided if he would be lobbying for rights to be enshrined in legislation. | |
He said he had accepted the taxpayer-funded position, which pays more than $300,000 a year, because he believed it would be a challenge. | |
“I’m a classic liberal, I do believe in some taxation and the government has made the decision to keep the Human Rights Commission,” he said. | |
“If it is going to exist I want to make sure it advances basic human rights.” | |
When asked if he supported the abolition of the commission, Wilson said he was going to “leave my comments there”. | |
Brandis released a statement calling Wilson one of Australia’s most prominent public advocates of the rights of individuals. | Brandis released a statement calling Wilson one of Australia’s most prominent public advocates of the rights of individuals. |
“He has published and broadcast widely on the topics of personal freedom, liberal democratic values and the rule of law,” he said. | “He has published and broadcast widely on the topics of personal freedom, liberal democratic values and the rule of law,” he said. |
“He was at the forefront in thwarting recent attempts to erode freedom of speech, freedom of the press and artistic freedom.” | “He was at the forefront in thwarting recent attempts to erode freedom of speech, freedom of the press and artistic freedom.” |
Brandis said the appointment restored balance to the commission, which he claimed had become “increasingly narrow and selective” in its view of human rights under the previous Labor government. | |
Wilson will become the seventh commissioner at the commission, with Triggs having taken on the human rights role since it was left vacant. | |
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